Page Layout - What is the best way of doing this?

[Sitara Lal]

Hi,

I would like to design a 3-column portal-type page where there will be links
and small ads in the left and right columns, whereas the centre column would
have the main content. I planned to create a template page and then create
all the pages from this template.

However how do I accomplish having the right and left columns in all pages
being updated automatically, when I add / delete any links or ads? Of course
I could go and manually change each page, but that would be too tedious.

Is there a better technique to use which will accomplish the same thing in
an easier way?

Thanks

SL

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Use the FP Include Page component for header, footer, left and right column.

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[Steve Easton]

Use include pages for the columns that will have the changing content.
When you edit the include page and save it, FrontPage will automatically update all pages
that have the column that uses the include.

Create the include just like any other page, but containing only the content you want
included in the column. Then in your pages with the columns, click once in the column, and
then select Insert > Web Component > Included Content and then browse to your include
page, select it and click OK.

Include pages only include the content that is between the body tags on the include page.


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[Sitara Lal]

Steve & Thomas,

Thanks for the very prompt response - I'm going to try out Include Pages
just now!

May I ask a question in this regard: Would using include pages have any
negative impact on search engine rankings, which other techniques such as
CSS may not have?

Thanks again for your time

SL

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

No.

| May I ask a question in this regard: Would using include pages have any
| negative impact on search engine rankings, which other techniques such as
| CSS may not have?
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Tom Pepper Willett [Microsoft MVP - FrontPage]
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Microsoft FrontPage:
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|
| Thanks again for your time
|
| SL
|
|

 

[Steve Easton]

No, because includes are a design time feature. The content is saved to the main page
when you "include" the content from the include page.

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Steve Easton
Microsoft MVP FrontPage
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[Andrew Murray]

It'd need to be database driven probably ASP and Access is the 'easiest' way.

I don't know how 'easy' this is for yourself, you haven't mentioned your skill
level in stuff such as databases, scripting and so on.

However ready made applications you could try are at www.hotscripts.com or
www.duware.com both have free scripts and 'portal' type applications among
others - if this is a bit beyond you in skill level.

These are restricted in a way, in the sense they have 'all the features' of these
portal type things like classifieds, news, calendars, forum and so on.....I dont
know if you can pick and choose the features to add or not.

The method of updating would either be by opening your access database in MS
Access and editiing the data, saving and uploading the mdb file(s) or using an
online interface (commonly built into the portal application itself) for editing,
deleting and adding data. the scripts on the above links would have this. By
doing it by database, you're updating a lot of data at once, which will then be
used to generate your web pages (i.e. if you have lots of adverts/classifieds -
it is a pain to have to manually update those in the web pages as you've said.

They can be customised fairly easily to fit your site design, and the most you
ahve to do with the script is perhaps change one line to reflect the names of
your databases, but this might not be necessary as they come with preconfigured
databases and the code is designed to work only with that particular file - with
these free scripts not all are going to suit everyone 100% - but the idea is the
try them out and find one that comes closest.

The www.Duware.com scripts are free (there are "pay" versions available) but the
free ones require a "powered by duware" link and copyright notices to be left on
the pages (as per user licence) but this is a common thing with many 'freeware'
kind of products. otherwise it is a fully functional version.

The hotscrips.com are those submitted by users and readers of the site (like all
the javascript sites you see around - user contributions).

Hope this might help.

Look for other suggestions in the mean time.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

No.

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Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
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[Thomas A. Rowe]

Even if it where dynamic, it would still have no impact.

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Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
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